Chimney cowl



June 20, 1939. P. J. FITZGERALD 2,163,197

CHIMNEY COWL I Filed March 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Attorneys June 20,1939.

CHIMNEY GOWL Filed March 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor A iiomeyg Patented June 20, 1939 7UNITED m CHIMNEY COWL Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Prescott, Ariz.

Application March 29,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in chimney cowls or hoods and the primary purpose of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, inexpensive device of this character adapted to be readily attached to the usual chimney and particularly designed to prevent down-draft while at the same time facilitating up-draft.

Another object is to provide a device of the character and for the purpose above set forth l0 embodying an improved anti-friction mounting for the cowl proper whereby the latter may be easily turned by the wind and without creaking or screeching noises such as usuallyoccur in the chimney eowls as commonly constructed.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawinssz- Figure 1 is a view in vertical central section of a chimney cowl constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Figure 2 is a similar fragmentary view with the cowl removed.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the cowl of my invention comprises a flue member I, preferably cylindrical, adapted to be mounted, so in any suitable manner, in or on the top of the chimney, not shown, to project well above the same, and a hood! surmounting the flue member 'I and comprising a depending skirt 3, also pref-. erably cylindrical, larger than the flue member I and rotatably mounted, in a manner presently described, on said member in centered overlapping relation thereto to provide a by-pass opening 3' between the lower end of said skirt 3 and the upper end of said flue member I. 'Ihe hood 2 has an upper side opening 4 therein well above the top of the flue member I and an upstanding vane 5 on the top thereof arranged so that under the action of wind the hood is turned to point the opening 4 away from the wind.

The mounting for the hood 2 comprises, as its basic element, an arched support 6 of channel iron having its free end riveted, as at I, to an annulus 8 which fits over the upper end of the flue member I and is suitably secured thereto so that the support 6 spans said member I in upstanding position and centrally thereof. The support 6 has suitably secured to the sides thereof, as at 9, a horizontally extending bar 6 located above the upper end of the flue member I.

Extending through suitable apertures i0 and 1938, Serial no. 198,770

Ill provided in the upper part of the support 6 and the bar 6' centrally thereof is a vertically disposed sleeve ll secured in position by means of a pair of upper and lower jamb nuts I! and I3 threaded onto the sleeve and bearing against 5 the underside of the support 6 and the top side of the bar 6', respectively. A pair of upper and lower gland nuts l4 and I5 are threaded onto the opposite ends of the sleeve ll above the support 6 and below the bar 6', respectively, said nuts i 4 and I5 also preferably bearing against the support 6 and bar 6' to function as additional securing means for the sleeve H. The lower gland nut l5 has formed therein axially of the sleeve H a concave socket l6 seating a ball hearing I! which supports an arbor ll having a concave socket I! in its lower end for centering said arbor on said ball bearing. The arbor [8 extends well above the sleeve II and upper gland nut M, for a purpose presently seen, and is smaller in diameter than the inner bore of said sleeve to eliminate friction between said arbor and sleeve. At the upper end of the sleeve II, a gland nut i4 is threaded thereon between which and said end of the sleeve are interposed side thrust bearings 20.

The hood 2 is supported on the upper end of the arbor l8 by means of an internal upwardly arched brace, or hanger, 2| of channel iron having its ends secured, as at 22, to the inner wall 30 of the skirt 3 and a central aperture 28 through which the arbor l8 extends, said brace, or hanger, 2| being clamped to the arbor II by means of a pair of nuts 24 and 25 threaded onto said arbor upon opposite sides of the brace respectively. As will now be seen, the hood 2 is supported by a single ball hearing I! and centered "by the ball bearings 20 so that frictional resistance to rotation thereof is practically eliminated and said hood, under the action of wind, will be quickly and noiselessly rotated to point the opening 4 away from the wind.

In the operation of the invention, up-draft is created by the wind blowing past the opening 4 45 by way of the by-pass opening 3' over the top of the member I whereby the chimney is caused to draw in the usual manner. Any blast of air entering the hood 2 by way of the opening 4 may pass in greater part out of said hood by way of 50 said by-pass opening 3' and thereby obviate dampening the chimney by down-draft in the flue member I.

My invention, both as regards its structure,

operation and advantages will be readily understood from the toncdn: witbmlt mam: ex- Dlanatlon.

lhnlfestly the mvenflm, u deeorlbed, in nuceptlble of modification without departing from thelnvenflve concept and rlzhtishereln renewed tosuchmodiflcatiomostfll wlthlntheeoopeot thembjomed claim.

WhatlclalmiamachlmneyoowLafluememberedl-ptedtobemountedonthetopotthecmmney'toextend' V arbor, and anti-friction side thrust beau-1w lnterpoeedbetweentheupperendofthelleeqe above the some, a hoodourmotmtln: the flue member end havlnsaaklrt dependinethemfrom overtheupperendotthenmmembermspooed releflontheretoandaddeopenlnztherdnat thetopthereotandeboveeddmembenand mean: to mount add hood on eldflue member for rotatlonxhereon comm on W archedsupportaponnlnsthetopottheflmmunberandsecuredtheremeglmflulyemped hanzeraecuredtotheomodte ddesotthehood lnterlorly thereof and lunn'ountlnc the support. aaleevenxedonmdmpportmuptondmz position, anorbor dependmajrom the hence: into said sleeve, an anti-friction mu atthe lower endotsaldsleevenmportlnz-theloweyendotthg and sald arbor.

' I'ATRICK J. mm. 

